GirlGI | Girl Gone International Issue 9 | Page 60

4 | Depression This is the only stage that I don’t feel applies to what I experienced; while the encounter was unpleasant, I wouldn’t describe the feelings I had for the following few days as depression. I would however describe it as extreme frustration. Frustration at this man for temporarily taking away my love for India, frustration at the way I was viewing all men based on this incident, frustration at the way that it had happened. I had played by the rules, covering myself and not travelling alone at night, why weren’t these precautions enough? 5 | Acceptance As horribly cliché as it sounds, time does heal. After a few days of being alone, assessing how I felt and how I would deal with any future situations, I felt more positive. I have been fortunate enough to have so many wonderful experiences – I chalked this one up as one of the bad and moved on. Lucy Hemmings, 26, British-American Living in Mumbai, India ‘I’m a Girl Gone International because I’m so incredibly motivated by my curiosity for the world.’